Automobile-turning apparatus.



L H. 520mm AUTOMOBILE TURNENG APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.. I917.-

1 86,504, Patented Dec. 3, 918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Smwfwkez J. H. BECKMAN.

AUTOMOBILE TURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 18116.6, 1917- Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mvemtoz JacobfZBeckmau J. H. BECKMAN. AUTOMQBILE TURNING APPARATUS. .MPUCAfION FILED AUG.6. 19H.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- lytwmtoz JACOB H. BECKMAEQ', OF SEATTLE, W'ASHINGTON'.

AUTOMOBILE-TURNING APPARATUS.

weasel.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec, 3, 1% 86 Application filed August 6, 1917. Serial Rite. 18 5330.

To all wiimz i it may concern Be it known that I JAcoe H. Brennan, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Seattle, county of l'lin and State of l vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-'l urning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to devices which are designed to'bc used for turning an automobile upon its side and holdingit in this position so that the under parts thereof may be conveniently accessible for examination and repair.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of this kind which be convenient in operation and simple in its construction. The features of my invention, which I claim as new, will be defined by the claims terminating this specification.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown my invention in the form preferred by me.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device, an automobile being shown in outline by dotted lines.

Fig. '2 is an end elevation of the device,

showing an automobile in place, before heing turned. 7

Fig. 3 is a like view showing the auto-,

mobile turned upon its side.

Fig. 4 is an end view of a slightly modified form of construction. the turned position of the automobile and the associated parts, being shown by dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken through the vertical portion of the frame at one side which is used for supporting the side of. the car.

Fig. 6 is a section showing in detail, a type of mechanism which may be employed for securing the wheels of the automobile to the trackway, by which the car is supported.

In the drawings 1 represents trackway members upon which the wheels of the automobile are placedbefore it is to be turned upon its side. These trackway members are herein shown as in the form of angle bars. While I prefer to use anangle bar for this purpose, it is evident that other types of bars may be employed. (The choice'of an angle bar for this purpose is determined by the fact that it has it side flange which will support the side of the automobile tire and rim when the car is placed upon its edge.

Two of the 'trackway members 1 are employed. These are herein shown as connected by their ends to two bars, or beams 2, which extend transversely of the length oi the car. These are herein hown as chair nel bars. The type of beam employed is, however, immaterial. I have also shown a bar 20 extending lengthwise of the device and secured to the ends of the beams 2 with which i have indicated the engagement of the rhesus for applying power to the device in order to turn it. V

Secured to the other ends of the beams 2 are posts 3. These posts extend upwardly adjacent the side of the car and serve as a means through which the car is supported,

at least in partfwhen it is turned upon its edge. Supp rted upon these posts 3 are two horizontally extending bars 30. One of these is placed toward the'top of the posts and the other toward the bottom.

Mounted to slide upon the horizontal bars 30 are blocks it each of which are secured thereto, two vertical bars or posts it, these being parallel and slightly separated. Mounted to slide vertically upon the bars 4 are a set of blocks l1, "through each of which horizontally passes a threaded bar 5. Block 40 is correspondingly threaded and serves as a supporting nut for the bar 5. Each bar 5 is provided. upon the end which faces toward the can with ablock 50, which is preferably mounted thereon by a balland-socket joint. so that it may adjust itself to-serve in various positions. Each threaded bar 5 is provided with a wheel 51 by which it may be readily turned or with any other suitable equivalent mecber sm.

Extending downwartlinirfd laterally outward from the frame sieve described are arms 10 which. at their lower end, have wheels 11 journaled thereon. These wheels bear upon trackways 12 which extend transversely the length of the car. At the other side of the frame small rollers or wheels 21 are secured upon horizontal axis. These are adapted to havea restrained movement in an upward direction as by fitting within the seaoe between the llan es of a channel bar 6; which channel bar is fixedly secured.

The object of this is to provide a means for securing vertical movement of this edge of the frame within definite] paths. mechanisms than that described may be employed if they secure-the same results.

A rope or cable 72 is secured to the bar of the frame. This passesover a pulley 70, which is supported in elevated position, as by the bar 7, which is secured to then er ends of the post 6. This rope may e handled by any suitable means. I have shown it as passing about a small drum or Windlass 71 which is mounted in elevated position and which may be operated in any suitable manner, This Windlass is preferably provided with a brake drum and band 8 which is controlled by a handle 81.

In Fig. 6 I have shown means whereby the i wheels of the car may be secured down upon the angle bars 1. This means consists of a bolt 9, which has its head end laterally bent to fit under the angle bar 1. This has mounted thereon a claw 90 which may be adjusted lengthwise upon the bolt and which is of such length as to extend over the rim of the wheel, that is, within the rim of the wheel, and engage the same to hold it down. This may be clamped down by a nut 91 upon the bolt. The engaging end of the claw 90 may be provided with a pad 92 which will prevent marring the rim of the wheel.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown the trackway 12, upon which the supporting wheels at one side of my device may move, asbeing horizontal at the end where the wheel would rest when the .car is in upright position. This trackway, preferably, is inclined upward toward the other end. .The

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curvature of the trackway, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, will work satisfactorily in many cases. 'In Fig. 4 I have, however, shown a form of trackway which has certain advantagcs. This trackway is higher at its ends than its middle portion. As the side of the,

frame to which the hoisting rope is attached is lifted, the wheels 11 run down the incline, and as the car approaches a position upon its edge the same wheels travel up the incline. The dot .and dash line 15 shown in Fig. 4, represents approximately, the movement of a point which is assumed as representing the center of gravity ofthe car.

It will be found that while the car is being turned over upon its edge, this point is constantly rising and is constantly falling while the car is tailing back, or to its upright position. A curvesou'icwhat after the shape of that shown in Fig. 4. tends to reduce the effort required to turn the car upon its edge and also the effort required to restore it to vertical osi'tion'.

The operation of this device is'evident. The car is first run upon the bars 1 and the wheels secured thereto by the clamping means shown in Fig. 6, or byiany other snit- Other these have been put in place against the side of the car, the opposite side of the car is lifted, which turns the car in a manner which is evident. This laces the ear in convenient position for o taining access to the under side thereof. After any work of this'kind, which it is desiredto do, is fin: .ished, the car is 'then lowered to normal position.

.What I claim as my inventioii is: 1. In a device of the character described, a structure adapted to receive and support an automobile for turning upon its side, ides extending upwardly at one side 0 said structure with which said structure has positive guiding engagement, wheels journaled beneath the opposite side of said is turned upon its side, arms extending downwardly and in a lateral outwardly direction from this side of the'frame, wheels carried by said latter arms, upwardly concaved trackways for saidwheels, and means for raising the opposite side oftheframe.

3. In a device of the character described, a frame having longitudinal wheel-receiving angle bars, transverse connecting bars, and posts extending upward from onev end of said transversely extending bars, means carried by said posts for supporting a car from its side, wheels carried by the side of the frame to which the posts are secured, transversely extending trackways for said wheels, means forIfraising the opposite side of the frame, and vertical guides for said latter side of the] frame. i v

4'. In a device for turning cars, a frame provided with means for securing a car thereto, means for vertically guiding one side of said frame, hoisting means engaging this side of the frame, track-ways extending transversely beneath the frame-and having the end thereof next to said vertical guides inclined upward and supporting wheels se cured-t0 the oppositeside of the frame and treveling onsaid trackways In a device for turning automobiles, in

combination, a frame L shaped in cross section, one side of said frame having a trackway for the automobile wheels, and means for securing the wheels to msepee V I 3;

Said trackway,

side supports for the automobile carried by the other side of the frame, trackways ex- -tending transversely beneath this frame, 5 wheels for said trackway carried by the side of the frame having said side supports, up

wardly extending guideway s engaging the side of the frame opposite from said sid supports, and meansfor hoisting and lowering this side of the frame under control of 16 the guideways.

Signed at Seattle, Vashington, this 31st day of July, 1917.

- JACOB H. BECKMAN. 

